Improvement in spring bed-bottoms



2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

H. OGBORN & A. W. KENDRICK.

Improvement in Spring Bed Bottum.

Patented Jan-23, 1872.

2 Sheete--Sheet 2.

H. OGBOR N &A. W. KENDRICK.

Improvement in Spring Bed'Botto m.

Patented Jan. 23. 1872.

5': means.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRISON OGBORN, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, AND ANDREW WV. KENDRICK,

' OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPRING BED-BOTTOMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 122,906, dated January23, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that we, HARRISON OGBORN, of the city of Richmond,Indiana, and AN- DREW W. KENDRIOK, of the city of Brooklyn, New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Bed-Bottoms,of which the following is a specification:

The object of our invention is to provide a cheap, simple, durable,noiseless, elastic bedbottom that shall be applicable to any bedstead,and which will be more especially and perfectly adapted to the use ofold persons, invalids, and others desiring a more elevated positionwhile sleeping. The first part of our invention relates to new andvaluable improvements in elastic wooden or metal springs forbed-bottoms, combined with and attached to the slats composing thebed-bottom, in such a manner as to make a cheap, strong, noiseless,elastic, luXuriousbed-bottom, which yields readily to the shape of thehuman body. The second part of our invention relates to the manner inwhich the springs are graduated and attached to the slats composing thebedbottom, and by which the slats may be adjusted vertically in case anyof the springs should sag, and so as to keep the slats not onlyhorizontal but on a plane with each other; and also to weaken or stiffenthe springs at pleasure by loosening or tightening the nuts on thebolts, thus graduating and adjusting the springs so as to hold the bodyof the occupant in an easy horizontal position and prevent the bed fromsagging and thus throwing the body of the occupant into an unnatural andunhealthy position. The third part of our invention consists in hinginga part of the frame of the bed-bottom to the longer or main part of theframe, so that it may be readily elevated to any desired angle, therebyraising the head and upper part of the body of the occupant to apleasant reclining position; and in the use of ratchets, pawls, and cordfor holding it in position and detaching the same when desired.

Description of Draining.

Figure 1 is a plan or top view of our bed bottom removed from thebedstead. Fig. 2 is a detached view of one of the springs and slats andthe bolt and nut by which it is held in position and adjusted. Fig. 3 isa longitudinal vertical section of our bed-bottom, showing the frame,head-raisin g part, ratchet, pawl, and cord. Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of our spring bed-bottom, showing and embodying the features of ourinvention, represented as placed on a bedstead ready for use.

General Description.

We provide for our spring bed-bottom aframe, of size and shape to suitan ordinary bedstead, composed of the side rails A A and footrail B, andthe adjustable head-raising parts, composed of the head-rail O and siderails E I). The transverse slats F F are supported at or near the middlepart by the long transverse wooden or metallic springs G G. Thesesprings G G are bolted at their middle to blocks 11 H, which are longenough to reach across the two slats F F (to which they are nailed) andthe space between them. The blocks J J are lined on the lower side withthin rubber cloth or other suitable material, where the springs touchthem, to prevent creaking, and nailed fast to the slats and the spring.They are placed far enough from the center between the slats and thesprings G G to press the springs Gr G into the desired position to raisethe slats as far above the rail as is desirable. The bolts K, whichattach the springs to the slats, are made with a screwthread extendingto near the head of the same, by which the springs may be forced upagainst the blocks H H at the middle, or allowed to spring away from theblocks by loosening the nut; thus, in additionto graduatmg the springsand raising and lowering the slats by tightenin g or loosening the nutson the bolts, stiffening or weakening the springs by the same means. Theends of the springs G G rest on the long side rails of the frame. Nearone end is a hole in the spring, through which it is firmly secured orbolted to the rails A and E. The other end of the spring is providedwith a slot, S, that extends some inches toward its center, and is heldin position by a screw-pin or bolt that fits loosely in the slot, butfirmly in the rail A and D. The rail, where this spring rests on it, islined with thin rubber or other suitable material, to prevent anycreaking noise. When any. or all the springs are pressed on, this slotallows the springs to move endwise just in proportion to the pressure onthe same, thus making each spring entirely independent of the others,and therefore perfectly adjustable to the weight placed on them. Thesesprings are cut away for a short distance in the middle, on the underside, as shown in Fig.3, where they are attached to the block H by thebolt K, so they are easily bent downward at the middle of them withoutspringing the slats F Fupward at their ends. The bolts do not draw thesprings up hard against the block, but leave room for future adjustmentif any of the springs sag or it becomes desirable to strengthen thesprings by tightening the nut V on the bolt K. The springs that occupythe middle of the bed (from head to foot) are made stronger,

and those near the head and foot of the bed weaker, so as to support thebody in a perfectly horizontal and healthy position. The adjustable orhead-raising part of the main frame is composed of the head-piece O andside rails E D. This adjustable partis united to the main frame byhinges U, pivots, bolts, or any other convenient means. The adjustableframe 0 D E is supplied with springs and slats similar to other parts ofthe frame, and correspondingly lettered. L represents a part of the mainframe, which extends the entire length of the bed-bottom,in whichratchets M M are cut to receive the pawls N N, which are attached aboutmidway of the adjustable frame at its side, as shown in Fig. 3, by ascrew or bolt. 0 is a cord that is attached to the pawls N N near thelower end of the same, which passes upward from them through a hole inthe raising part of the frame, or an eye or hook attached to the same.The

middle part of the cord is held, where it may be found at all times, ona hook attached to the bedstead, as shown in Fig. 4.

To elevate the adjustable part of the bedbottom it is only necessary toraise the adjust-able part to any angle desired. The pawls N N are keptdown on the ratchet (by their own weight) on the piece L, and readilycatch in the ratchets M M and hold the raised part in the position towhich it is raised until the pawls are released, which is readily done,when desired, by partly relievingthem of their weight and drawing on thecord 0, which readily releases the pawls, and the head-raising partfalls back into a horizontal position.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim is l. Thesprings GG, constructed withaweakened cut-away part, H, in the middlethereof,-

and an open slot, S, in the end, for the purposes and uses and in themanner substantially as set forth.

2. We claim the slats F F, blocks J J and H, in combination with thesprings G G, bolt K, and nut V, when used together in the mannerindicated, and for the purposes set forth.

3. We claim the springs G G, slots S S, blocks H and J J, in combinationwith the bolt K, screws W, and frame E D A A when combined, used, andoperated substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

4. We claim the head-raisin g part, composed of the frame 0 D E, slats FF, springs G G, blocks J J and H, cord 0, ratchet M, pawl N, and hingeU, constructed and operated in the manner and for the purposessubstantially as set forth.

5. We claim. the frame E D O, cord 0, pawl N, and ratchet M, incombination with frame L L and A Ahand hinge U, when said parts areconstructed and operated substantially as set forth, and for thepurposes and uses indicated.

HARRISON OGBORN. ANDREW W. KENDRIOK.

Witnesses:

W. A. MOTE, E. H. SWAYNE.

